--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And meanwhile the sad truth was that not…" description: "\"And meanwhile the sad truth was that not everyone could be extraordinary, not everyone could be extremely cool; because whom would this leave to be ord..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b26/jonathan-franzen-801_extraordinary_and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not_2447823.jpg" --- # And meanwhile the sad truth was that not everyone could be… ![“And meanwhile the sad truth was that not everyone could be extraordinary, not everyone could be extremely cool; because whom would this leave to be ordinary?” quote by Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b26/jonathan-franzen-801_extraordinary_and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not_2447823.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b26/jonathan-franzen-801_extraordinary_and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not_2447823.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b26/jonathan-franzen-801_extraordinary_and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not_2447823.jpg) > “And meanwhile the sad truth was that not everyone could be extraordinary, not everyone could be extremely cool; because whom would this leave to be ordinary?” [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extraordinary talent is rare; ordinary people fill the world, raising questions about expectations. **In simple terms:** Not everyone can be extraordinary. Key Takeaway Accept ordinary as valuable. Themes talent ordinariness expectations Mood reflective critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - Workplace dynamics - family roles - educational settings Key Concepts Literature Social critique Human nature Questions to Reflect On - How do you value ordinary contributions? - What defines “extraordinary” for you? A Different Perspective Pressure to be extraordinary can be harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Sad truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Oh, misanthropy and sourness. Gary wanted to enjoy being a man of wealth and leisure, but the country was making it none too easy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/oh-misanthropy-and-sourness-gary-wanted-to-enjoy-being-a-man-of/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [It is so powerful when we can leave behind our ordinary identities, no longer think of ourselves primarily as a conductor, or writer, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/it-is-so-powerful-when-we-can-leave-behind-our-ordinary-identities-no/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [A lot of times, black people were extremely cool, and that's how we've been commodified in TV and film. But now we're starting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/y-lan-noel/a-lot-of-times-black-people-were-extremely-cool-and-that-s-how-we-ve/) [Y'lan Noel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-lan-noel/) > [Take a stand for what's right. Raise a ruckus and make a change. You may not always be popular, but you'll be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/take-a-stand-for-what-s-right-raise-a-ruckus-and-make-a-change-you/) [Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/) > [If someone had written a review saying, ''Oh, Hello' is stupid,' we would have said, 'Yeah, it is. You're absolutely right.' 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Yet most people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/most-people-can-do-extraordinary-things-if-they-have-the-confidence/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very long time been a tiny little part of American jurisprudence, far removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-law-has-for-a-very-long-time/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [The ordinary focus on what they're getting. The extraordinary think about who they're becoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/the-ordinary-focus-on-what-they-re-getting-the-extraordinary-think/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. 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This fact is the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/the-fundamental-fact-about-all-of-us-is-that-we-re-alive-for-a-while/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [Fiction that isn't an author's personal adventure into the frightening or the unknown isn't worth writing for anything but money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/fiction-that-isn-t-an-author-s-personal-adventure-into-the/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“Parents are programmed to want the best for their kids, regardless of what they get in return. That's what love is supposed to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/parents-are-programmed-to-want-the-best-for-their-kids-regardless-of/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“Birds were what became of dinosaurs. 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And the extraordinary thing about this Republican primary is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/jeb-bush-was-supposed-to-be-the-establishment-candidate-but-he-didn-t/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [We are very fortunate to be recognized here in such an extraordinary manner for work that we enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-altman/we-are-very-fortunate-to-be-recognized-here-in-such-an-extraordinary/) [Sidney Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-altman/) > [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) Chaz Brenchley > [In sports teams, apart from talk of sporting prowess and the imparting of inspirational thought, an extraordinary amount of time is spent discussing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsha-bhogle/in-sports-teams-apart-from-talk-of-sporting-prowess-and-the-imparting/) [Harsha Bhogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsha-bhogle/) > [My books are about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-robards/my-books-are-about-ordinary-people-caught-up-in-extraordinary/) [Karen Robards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-robards/) > [If you like I'll be furious flesh elemental, or- changing to tones that the sunset arouses- if you like- I'll be extraordinary gentle, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-mayakovsky/if-you-like-i-ll-be-furious-flesh-elemental-or-changing-to-tones-that/) [Vladimir Mayakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-mayakovsky/) > [It isn't necessary to seek out adventure. Opening to what is around you will produce the most extraordinary experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-b-lewis/it-isn-t-necessary-to-seek-out-adventure-opening-to-what-is-around/) Edward B. Lewis > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) Browse all 2,906 Extraordinary quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And meanwhile the sad truth was that not everyone could be extraordinary, not everyone could be extremely cool; because whom would this leave to be ordinary?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Franzen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not-everyone-could-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Extraordinary" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not-everyone-could-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b26/jonathan-franzen-801_extraordinary_and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not_2447823.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b26/jonathan-franzen-801_extraordinary_and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not_2447823.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b26/jonathan-franzen-801_extraordinary_and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not_2447823.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And meanwhile the sad truth was that not everyone could be extraordinary, not everyone could be extremely…” — Jonathan Franzen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jonathan Franzen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "And meanwhile the sad truth was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not-everyone-could-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/and-meanwhile-the-sad-truth-was-that-not-everyone-could-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```